Cabinet minister David Mundell comes out as gay

Cabinet minister David Mundell
David Jones/PA
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A cabinet minister announced today that he is gay.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell made the personal statement shortly after Prime Minister’s Questions finished at Westminster.

The father of three grown-up children put out a statement on his website.

“New Year, new start! I have already set out my political priorities for the year and now I am setting out my personal one,” he wrote.

“Having taken one of the most important decisions of my life and resolved to come out publically as gay in 2016, I just want to get on with it, and now, just like that, I have said it.

“How can it be both so easy and so hard to say a few short words?

“In the end, it took just a couple of taps on a keyboard, yet at some points, in my mind, it was going to be harder than standing for election, speaking in the House of Commons or being cross-examined on television.”

He told of his “journey”, with “conflicting emotions, of doubts and fears, but ultimately positive and uplifting, with an unstoppable direction of travel”.

He added: “Over time, I came to understand that, for me, the only way to be truly happy on a personal level is to acknowledge in public as well as in private, who I am.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said David Cameron was “delighted” that Mr Mundell had been able to “make this step”.

Former Islington South Labour MP Chris Smith, now Lord Smith, became the first openly gay Cabinet minister in 1997.

Mr Mundell is the first openly gay Tory Cabinet minister.

He is the only Tory MP in Scotland, representing Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale.

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